Chapter 156: Tactical Team Finn didn’t smile back. He simply stared blankly and began openly assessing, sizing him up for a situation where he might have to kill him. "Gentlemen, ladies." An Archon entered — the King of Velanthir himself, Finn realized. "Thank you for answering the call." Everyone found seats. The tent had been arranged with a central table covered in maps and reports. Finn deliberately positioned himself where he could see both the Ferox delegation and the entrance. Deacon sat beside him. Thalia took a position of authority near the Archon. The last two arrivals slipped in quietly. Ailin, who nodded to Finn briefly before taking a seat. And a tall, lean man with the bearing of a long-distance traveler. His eyes swept the room, cataloging exits, and Finn recognized a kindred strategic mind. "Tavian," the man introduced himself to those nearby. "Passage bearer. Kingdom of Meridane." The Archon cleared his throat and began after everyone was settled: "Three weeks ago, a breach opened in the eastern territories of Velanthir. Standard response protocol was initiated. Five Transcendents were dispatched." He gestured, and an attendant placed three objects on the table. Two charred identification tokens and one broken sword — a high-grade artifact, from the exquisite crafting and materials, snapped cleanly in half. "Davos Stoneward, the Endurance bearer, died first. We recovered his token from Rin. The brothers Poul and Simon, Resonance bearers, died together. These are their tokens." The room was silent. "Transcendent Rin and Transcendent Senna were the only two to escape through the breach after four days inside. But both came out... changed." "Changed how?" someone asked — one of the Solvane Transcendents. "Rin refuses to use his Fervour abilities, saying something along the lines of: ’the fire is wrong now...’ Senna, on the other hand, has retreated into herself. We can only get through to her after her episodes where she speaks in a language none of our scholars recognize." The King of Valenthir paused and clenched his fist tightly. He seemed to have a great relationship with the Transcendents of his kingdom, so seeing them in such a state visibly frustrated him. He sighed, then continued, raising his head to look pointedly at the Transcendents in the room. "But one thing they both insist is that what killed their teammates wasn’t a Transcendent creature." "Then what was it?" Himothy’s voice boomed. "They call them gods..." The Archon said with a heavy voice, and a short silence followed after. "Ridiculous," someone scoffed. "Gods don’t exist." "Transcendents didn’t exist twenty years ago," Thalia pointed out coolly. "And now eighteen of us sit in this room." Deacon’s golden eyes were glowing faintly. Finn noticed, trying to gauge the man’s reaction now that the words had been spoken. "The breach is stable," the Archon continued. "Unprecedented. Through it, we’ve confirmed the existence of a full world. Not an exotic plane pocket, but a complete world with civilization, cities, populations..." He gestured, and attendants unfurled a hastily-drawn map. "From what Rin and Senna reported before their... episodes... the breach opens to a rural area near a major city-state called Theovara. The world appears to be pre-industrial. Think ancient kingdoms, forum-style governance, slave economies." "What about these gods?" Casmir asked, focused on that instead. "According to Senna, during her lucid moments," The Archon’s jaw tightened. "they walk among the people. They perform miracles. They have temples, priests, worshippers. The population treats them as divine beings who have always existed." Finn’s divine essence pulsed. Just once. A recognition deep in his core. He forced himself to remain still, but he felt Deacon’s gaze flicker toward him. "The question before this council," the Archon said, "is threefold. First: Do we send another team into the breach to gather intelligence?" "Yes," Thalia said immediately. Several others nodded. "Second: Do we maintain the secrecy of breaches and Transcendents from the general population, or do we begin controlled disclosure to prevent panic if this situation escalates?" That sparked debate. Voices rose. Arguments for and against. Finn tuned them out, focusing on the Chaos bearer. The young man sat languidly in his chair, eyes half-closed, looking almost bored. But his fingers drummed on the armrest in a pattern that had no rhythm. Random. Chaotic. And he was smiling. "Third," the Archon’s voice cut through the debate. "If we send a team, how do we select them, and what are their objectives?" "Intelligence gathering," Tavian said calmly. "We need to understand the power structure. How these ’gods’ function. What they want." "Stealth operation," Keeva added with her usual quiet voice. "Infiltrate, observe, extract. No engagement unless necessary." "Boring," Himothy groaned. "We should challenge these so-called gods directly. Prove they’re not divine." "And if they are?" Ailin asked. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂 "Then it’ll be a glorious fight!" Thalia closed her eyes briefly, as if praying for patience. The Chaos bearer’s smile widened. Then he spoke for the first time, his voice surprisingly pleasant. "I volunteer the Ferox delegation for the mission." Everyone turned to stare at him. "However," he continued, tapping his fingers in that maddening non-rhythm, "in the interest of inter-kingdom cooperation, and because this clearly requires subtlety my team lacks, I propose a joint operation. Mixed teams." "Agreed," the Archon said immediately, clearly relieved. "I recommend—" "Astoria has many skilled Transcendents," the Chaos bearer interrupted smoothly, causing a flicker of a frown to cross the Archon’s face. "Their Princess Thalia. The Truth-seer. The Disguise artist. And..." His eyes locked on Finn. "...the Error bearer. Fascinating concept, Error. It finds flaws in systems, doesn’t it?" Finn met his gaze steadily. "Yes." "Perfect for finding flaws in gods." The casual way he said it made several Transcendents shift uncomfortably. "From Ferox," the Chaos bearer continued, "I offer Himothy Thundercock." Himothy straightened, and for a second, lightning seemed to crackle around him briefly. "I SHALL NOT FAIL!" Thunder rumbled outside despite clear skies. "Only one representative from Ferox," Thalia said firmly. "Given the nature of an infiltration mission." The Chaos bearer’s smile didn’t waver. He glanced at Himothy, then back to Thalia. His eyes held hers for a long moment. "Very well. Himothy alone is enough to represent Ferox’s interests." Then, almost as an afterthought, he added with a mutter, "Order is already there, after all..." Thalia’s expression hardened, but she said nothing. The rest of the council proceeded with logistics. Tavian volunteered, as did Ailin. Two more Transcendents from minor kingdoms joined them — combat-capable but level-headed individuals who filled the remaining gaps in their formation. ​By the time the sun began to dip, the team was finalized. Thalia would lead them with the steady hand of Order, while Finn provided tactical analysis through Error. Deacon stood ready to verify intelligence with Truth, and Keeva would handle infiltration via Disguise. Tavian’s mastery over Passage ensured their physical access, complemented by Ailin’s ability to extract information through Memory. At the front of any potential fray stood Himothy, a bearer of Glory who was as much a combat powerhouse as he was a liability. To round out the group, they added Yara, whose Resilience made her a living shield, and a quiet man named Osric, whose concept of Silence would help to mask their movements. ​Nine Transcendents. Tactically chosen to face up against a world of Gods...